Combination LED fog lamp and daytime running lamp

ABSTRACT

A combination lamp for use in a vehicle includes a number of reflector modules, with each reflector module including a reflector, a first light emitting diode (“LED”) positioned at a focus of the reflector, and a second LED offset from the focus of the reflector. The lamp may also include another reflector module having a reflector and a single, common LED positioned at a focus of the reflector. When the first LEDs and the common LED are energized, the combination lamp produces a first light pattern. When the second LEDs and the common LED are energized, the combination lamp produces a second light pattern. The first light pattern may be a fog lamp light pattern, and the second light pattern may be a daytime running lamp light pattern. The combination lamp may include four, five, or more reflector modules, including the one reflector module having the single, common LED.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to lamps for vehicles and, moreparticularly, to a vehicular fog lamp and daytime running lamp.

BACKGROUND

Cars and trucks include lamps to provide illumination, includingheadlamps, fog lamps, and daytime running lamps. Fog lamps are auxiliarylighting devices typically mounted low in the front fascia of a vehicle.Fog lamps direct light low and toward the ground to provide improvedvisibility during poor weather conditions. Fog lamps typically do notdirect substantial amounts of light above a horizontal plane, to helpprevent glare that may dazzle oncoming drivers. Typical “projector” foglamps include a halogen light bulb surrounded by a polyellipsoidalreflector, which is covered by a glass aspheric condensing lens. Whenpackaged into the vehicle, the bulb, reflector, and lens assembly of aprojector fog lamp may extend relatively deep into the vehicle's frontfascia.

Daytime running lamps (DRL), also called daytime running lights, areforward lighting devices that are intended to increase the visibility ofa vehicle when its main headlamps are not be activated, such as duringthe day or in mixed lighting conditions. DRLs typically direct lightforward, and a substantial amount of light may be directed above thehorizon. As compared to light produced by fog lamps, directing lightforward and above the horizon may cause additional light to reach theeyes of oncoming drivers, increasing the visibility of the DRL. BecauseDRLs are typically used in conditions with relatively bright ambientlight, DRLs may not dazzle oncoming drivers. DRLs may produce light ofsimilar intensity to low-beam headlamps or may produce light of lowerintensity. Typical DRLs may be implemented using dedicated lamps, or byrunning incandescent headlamps with reduced voltage.

Light-emitting diode (LED) light sources provide an efficient lightsource. LEDs for automotive applications typically consume about 12watts of electrical power in operation. LEDs also generally have muchlonger expected lifetimes than halogen or other incandescent lightbulbs. However, LEDs differ from halogen light bulbs in severalcharacteristics. LEDs typically produce lower amounts of luminous flux.Additionally, the longevity and light production of LEDs are bothsensitive to operating temperature, requiring thermal management.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of the disclosure, an automotive lamp isdisclosed. The automotive lamp includes a plurality of reflectors, afirst plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) including a first LEDpositioned at a focus of a first reflector of the plurality ofreflectors and operable to direct light at the first reflector, and asecond plurality of LEDs including a second LED offset from the focus ofthe first reflector and operable to direct light at the first reflector.The automotive lamp is configured to produce a first light pattern whenthe first plurality of LEDs are energized, and produce a second lightpattern when the second plurality of LEDs are energized.

In some embodiments, the automotive lamp may include a third LEDpositioned at the focus of a second reflector of the plurality ofreflectors and operable to direct light at the second reflector, and anelectronic controller. The electronic controller may be configured toenergize the first plurality of LEDs and the third LED to produce thefirst light pattern and energize the second plurality of LEDs and thethird LED to produce the second light pattern.

In some embodiments, the first plurality of LEDs may further include afourth LED positioned at a focus of a third reflector and operable todirect light at the third reflector, the second plurality of LEDs mayfurther include a fifth LED offset from the focus of the third reflectorand operable to direct light at the third reflector, and the secondreflector may be positioned between the first reflector and the thirdreflector.

In some embodiments, the plurality of reflectors may include fourreflectors. The first plurality of LEDs may include four LEDs, each LEDbeing operable to direct light at one of the four reflectors and beingpositioned at a focus of the one reflector, and the second plurality ofLEDs may include four LEDs, each LED being operable to direct light atone of the four reflectors and being positioned offset from the focus ofthe one reflector.

In some embodiments, when the first light pattern is viewed in animaginary reference plane positioned a predefined distance in front ofthe automotive lamp, a first vertical distance may be defined between anupper end and a lower end of the first light pattern. When the secondlight pattern is viewed in the reference plane, a second verticaldistance may be defined between an upper end and a lower end of thesecond light pattern, the second vertical distance being greater thanthe first vertical distance. In some embodiments, the first lightpattern may be a fog lamp light pattern, and the second light patternmay be a daytime running lamp light pattern. In some embodiments, theupper end of the first light pattern may be positioned below animaginary line in the reference plane that corresponds to the horizon,and the upper end of the second light pattern may be positioned abovethe imaginary line. In some embodiments, a first horizontal distance maybe defined between a left end and a right end of the first lightpattern, and a second horizontal distance may be defined between a leftend and a right end of the second light pattern, the second horizontaldistance being less than the first horizontal distance.

In some embodiments, the electronic controller may be further configuredto de-energize the first plurality of LEDs when the second plurality ofLEDs are energized and de-energize the second plurality of LEDs when thefirst plurality of LEDs are energized.

According to another aspect, an automotive lamp includes a lamp housingfor installation in a vehicle, the lamp housing having an inboard sideand an outboard side, wherein the vehicle defines a longitudinal vehicleaxis, and a plurality of reflector modules arranged linearly within thelamp housing. Each reflector module includes a support coupled to thelamp housing, a reflector extending from the support and defining afocus on a surface of the support, and a first light emitting diode(LED) positioned on the surface of the support at the focus of thereflector and operable to direct light at the reflector. Each reflectormodule produces a first light pattern when the first LED is energized.Each of a first reflector module and a second reflector module of theplurality of reflector modules includes a second LED positioned on thesurface of the support offset from the focus of the reflector, thesecond LED being operable to direct light at the reflector. Each of thefirst reflector module and the second reflector module produces a secondlight pattern when the second LED is energized.

In some embodiments, when each first light pattern produced by theplurality of reflector modules is viewed in an imaginary reference planepositioned a predefined distance along the vehicle axis in front of theautomotive lamp, an upper end of each first light pattern may bepositioned below an imaginary line in the reference plane thatcorresponds to the horizon, and when each second light pattern producedby the plurality of reflector modules is viewed in the reference plane,a centroid of each second light pattern may be offset vertically from acentroid of the first light pattern produced by the same reflector.

In some embodiments, the plurality of reflector modules may furtherinclude a third reflector module positioned between the first reflectormodule and the second reflector module. The automotive lamp may furtherinclude an electronic controller configured to energize the first LED ofthe third reflector module when the first LEDs of the first reflectormodule and the second reflector module are energized and energize thefirst LED of the third reflector module when the second LEDs of thefirst reflector module and the second reflector module are energized.

In some embodiments, the plurality of reflector modules may furtherinclude a fourth reflector module, the fourth reflector module includinga second LED positioned on the surface of the support offset from thefocus of the reflector, the second LED being operable to direct light atthe reflector, and producing a second light pattern when the second LEDis energized. The first reflector module may be positioned inboard ofthe third reflector module, the second reflector module may bepositioned outboard of the third reflector module, and the fourthreflector module may be positioned outboard of the second reflectormodule.

In some embodiments, the plurality of reflector modules may furtherinclude a fourth reflector module, the fourth reflector module includinga second LED positioned on the surface of the support offset from thefocus of the reflector, the second LED being operable to direct light atthe reflector, and producing a second light pattern when the second LEDis energized. The first reflector module may be positioned inboard ofthe third reflector module, the second reflector module may bepositioned outboard of the third reflector module, and the fourthreflector module may be positioned inboard of the first reflectormodule. In some embodiments, the plurality of the reflector modules mayfurther include a fifth reflector module, the fifth reflector moduleincluding a second LED positioned on the surface of the support offsetfrom the focus of the reflector, the second LED being operable to directlight at the reflector, producing a second light pattern when the secondLED is energized, and being positioned outboard of the second reflectormodule.

In some embodiments, the second LEDs of the first reflector module andthe fourth reflector module may be positioned closer to the reflectorthan the focus, and the second LEDs of the second reflector module andfifth reflector module may be positioned further from reflector than thefocus. In some embodiments, when each second light pattern produced bythe first reflector module and the fourth reflector module is viewed inan imaginary reference plane positioned a predefined distance along thevehicle axis in front of the automotive lamp, the second light patternmay have a centroid positioned vertically above a centroid of the firstlight pattern produced by the same reflector module, and when eachsecond light pattern produced by the second reflector module and thefifth reflector module is viewed in the reference plane, the secondlight pattern may have a centroid positioned vertically below a centroidof each first light pattern produced by the same reflector module.

In some embodiments, the reflectors of the plurality of reflectormodules may be configured to reflect the light produced by the firstLEDs and the second LEDs out of the lamp housing without obstruction.

According to another aspect, a method for automotive lighting includesenergizing a plurality of first light emitting diodes (LEDs) to producea first light pattern, wherein each first LED is positioned at a focusof a reflector of a plurality of reflectors, energizing a plurality ofsecond LEDs to produce a second light pattern, wherein each second LEDis offset from the focus of a reflector corresponding to a first LED,and energizing a third LED positioned at a focus of a reflector of theplurality of reflectors when the plurality of first LEDs are energizedto produce the first light pattern and when the plurality of second LEDsare energized to produce the second light pattern.

In some embodiments, energizing the plurality of first LEDs and thethird LED may include energizing the plurality of first LEDs and thethird LED to produce the first light pattern that, when viewed in animaginary reference plane positioned a predefined distance in front ofthe plurality of reflectors, has an upper end positioned below animaginary line in the reference plane that corresponds to the horizon.Energizing the plurality of second LEDs and the third LED may includeenergizing the plurality of second LEDs and the third LED to produce thesecond light pattern that, when viewed in the reference plane, (i) hasan upper end positioned above the upper end of the first light patternand (ii) has a lower end positioned below a lower end of the first lightpattern.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the following figures,in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination lamp;

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of the combination lamp of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an overhead schematic diagram of one aspect of the interiorcomponents of the combination lamp of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a fog lamp lightpattern produced by the combination lamp of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a fog lamp lightpattern produced by the combination lamp of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a DRL light patternproduced by the combination lamp of FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof havebeen shown by way of example in the drawings and will be describedherein in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is nointent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure to the particularforms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover allmodifications, equivalents, and alternatives consistent with the presentdisclosure and the appended claims.

References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,”“an illustrative embodiment,” etc., indicate the embodiment describedmay include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, butevery embodiment may or may not necessarily include that particularfeature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are notnecessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particularfeature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with anembodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of oneskilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristicin connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitlydescribed.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a portion of the front fascia of a vehicle 10is shown. The illustrative vehicle 10 is a passenger car; however inother embodiments the vehicle 10 may be a car, truck, sport utilityvehicle, or any other road-going passenger vehicle. The vehicle 10includes a combination lamp 12 installed in the front fascia. Thecombination lamp 12 performs multiple lighting functions for the vehicle10. For example, the illustrative combination lamp 12 performs both foglamp and daytime running lamp (DRL) functions. In other embodiments, thecombination lamp 12 may perform additional or alternative functions,such as low beam headlamp, high beam headlamp, driving light, turninglight, or any other vehicular lighting function. The combination lamp 12includes a housing 14 that covers and protects the internal componentsof the combination lamp 12 from water, road grime, and other debris.Additionally, the housing 14 includes mounting hardware, such asmounting clips or threaded holes for receiving screws or bolts tosupport attachment to the vehicle. The housing 14 may be constructedfrom any suitably durable material, including a plastic material such asacrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS”) plastic or a metallic materialsuch as aluminum.

The combination lamp 12 includes a lens 16 positioned at the front ofthe housing 14. The lens 16 is transparent and further serves to sealand protect the internal components of the combination lamp 12. In theillustrative embodiment, the lens 16 is “non-optical”—that is, the lens16 does not substantially refract light passing through the lens. Thelens 16 is constructed from polycarbonate plastic that has asubstantially constant cross-sectional thickness throughout. In otherembodiments, the lens 16 may be constructed of other transparent orsemi-transparent material, such as glass.

The combination lamp 12 includes a number of reflector modules 18positioned inside the combination lamp 12. The illustrative combinationlamp 12 includes five reflector modules 20, 22, 24, 26, 28. In otherembodiments, the combination lamp 12 may omit one of the end reflectormodules 20, 28, thereby including four reflector modules 18. In stillother embodiments, the combination lamp 12 may include more than fivereflector modules 18. The reflector modules 18 are arranged one next tothe other. In the illustrative combination lamp 12, the reflectormodules 18 are staggered diagonally. Of the reflector modules 18, thereflector module 20 is positioned furthest from the center line of thevehicle 10; in other words, the reflector module 20 is located in thefurthest outboard position and closest to the back of the vehicle 10.The reflector module 22 is positioned closer to the center line of thevehicle 10 and in front of the reflector module 20, the reflector module24 is positioned closer to the center line of the vehicle 10 and infront of the reflector module 22, and so on. The reflector module 28 ispositioned furthest inboard, that is, closest to the center line of thevehicle 10 and closest to the front of the vehicle 10. The illustratedcombination lamp 12 is configured for installation on the right-handside of the vehicle 10; the arrangement of the reflector modules 18 maybe mirrored for installation on the left-hand side of the vehicle 10. Itshould be appreciated that while the illustrated reflector modules 18are separate components, in other embodiments one or more of thereflector modules 18 may be combined into or manufactured as a singleunit.

Each of the reflector modules 18 includes a support bracket 30 that isattached to the housing 14. The support bracket 30 also includeselectrical connections to connect the combination lamp 12 to theelectrical system of the vehicle 10. The support bracket 30 includes abottom surface 32 that supports attachment of electrical components suchas LEDs. The bottom surface 32 is not reflective. The support bracket 30may additionally include a thermal management system to dissipate wasteheat generated by the combination lamp 12 in operation, such as a heatsink or a thermal coupling to a separate heat sink.

Each of the reflector modules 18 includes a reflector 34 attached to thesupport bracket 30 and extending downwardly therefrom. Each reflector 34is configured to reflect light produced in the combination lamp 12through the lens 16, as further described below. Each reflector 34defines an optical focus 35 at a point on the bottom surface 32 of thesupport bracket 30 (see also FIG. 3). As illustrated, each reflector 34is composed of multiple facets, with each of the facets sharing the samefocus. Each reflector 34 is formed as a separate piece ofaluminum-coated ABS plastic. In other embodiments, the reflectors 34 maybe made of other reflective materials.

The reflector modules 20, 22, 26, 28 each include a fog lamp LED 36 anda DRL LED 38 positioned on the bottom surface 32 of the support bracket30. As shown in FIG. 3, the fog lamp LED 36 is positioned on the bottomsurface 32 at the focus 35 of the corresponding reflector 34, and theDRL LED 38 is offset from the focus 35 of the corresponding reflector34. When energized, each of the LEDs 36, 38 is oriented to direct lightat the corresponding reflector 34, which reflects the light out of thecombination lamp 12 through the lens 16. As described further below,each of the LEDs 36, 38 produces a different light pattern whenenergized and thus performs a different automotive lighting function. Inthe illustrative combination lamp 12, the fog lamp LED 36 produces a foglamp light pattern 76 (see FIGS. 4-5), and the DRL LED 38 produces a DRLlight pattern 92 (see FIGS. 4-5). As described above, in otherembodiments the reflector modules 18 may produce different lightpatterns, such as a low-beam light pattern and a high-beam lightpattern, by including additional LEDs or LEDs having differentconfigurations.

In the illustrative embodiment, one reflector module 24 is positionedbetween the reflectors modules 22, 26. However, in other embodiments,for example in embodiments with an even number of reflector modules 18,the reflector module 24 may be at any position within the reflectormodules 18 between two other reflector modules 18. The reflector module24 includes a single common LED 40 positioned on the bottom surface 32of the support bracket 30. The common LED 40 is positioned at the focusof the corresponding reflector 34. When energized, the common LED 40directs light at the corresponding reflector 34, which reflects thelight out of the combination lamp 12 through the lens 16. Thus, thecommon LED 40 is arranged similarly to the fog lamp LEDs 36 of the otherreflector modules 20, 22, 26, 28. However, the combination lamp 12 isconfigured to energize the common LED 40 when the fog lamp LEDs 36 ofthe other reflector modules 20, 22, 26, 28 are energized and to energizethe common LED 40 when the DRL LEDs 38 of the other reflector modules20, 22, 26, 28 are energized. Thus, the common LED 40 contributes lightto both light patterns 76, 92 produced by the combination lamp 12.

The LEDs 36, 38, 40 may be connected to the electrical system of thevehicle 10 (e.g., 12 volts DC power) through a printed circuit board orusing a pair of wires (not shown). Each LED 36, 38, 40 may include asingle LED chip or multiple LED chips integrated in a single physicalpackage. Each LED 36, 38, 40 produces white light having the same colortemperature. In some embodiments, each LED 36, 38, 40 may also producethe same amount of luminous flux, and indeed may be embodied as the sameLED. For example, each LED 36, 38, 40 may be embodied as a cool-whiteLED using a 350 mA drive current. In other embodiments, the fog lampLEDs 36 may produce a different amount of luminous flux from the DRLLEDs 38.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a simplified block diagram 42 illustrates thecombination lamp 12 of the vehicle 10. As described above, the vehiclepower supply 44 is a standard vehicle electrical system supplying about12 volts DC power, for example from a battery or an alternator. Thevehicle power supply 44 is coupled to a light control module 46 thatcontrols and regulates operation of the combination lamp 12. The lightcontrol module 46 includes an electronic controller that activates thevarious functions of the combination lamp 12 as required. The lightcontrol module 46 receives and interprets input from user controls andsensors in the vehicle 10 to determine which function should beactivated. For example, the light control module 46 may activate the DRLfunction when a sensor (not shown) detects that the vehicle 10 is indaylight and may activate the fog lamp function in response to auser-controlled switch in the cabin of the vehicle 10. Althoughillustrated as a separate functional block, in some embodiments some orall of the functionality of the light control module 46 may beintegrated with the combination lamp 12.

To activate the functions of the combination lamp 12, the light controlmodule 46 is operatively coupled to the fog lamp LEDs 36, the DRL LEDs38, and the common LED 40. In general, to activate the fog lampfunction, the light control module 46 energizes the fog lamp LEDs 36 andthe common LED 40, and to activate the DRL function, the light controlmodule 46 energizes the DRL LEDs 38 and the common LED 40. When the foglamp function is activated the light control module 46 may energize thefog lamp LEDs 36 and de-energize the DRL LEDs 38. Conversely, when theDRL function is activated, the light control module 46 may energize theDRL LEDs 38 and de-energize the fog lamp LEDs 36. In some embodiments,the light control module 46 may activate both the fog lamp function andthe DRL function by energizing all of the LEDs 36, 38, 40 and maydeactivate both the fog lamp function and the DRL function byde-energizing all of the LEDs 36, 38, 40. Thus, each of the fog lampLEDs 36 and the DRL LEDs 38 may be considered to be a separate LEDarray. When energized, each of the LEDs 36, 38, 40 emits light directedat the reflectors 34, which reflect the light out of the combinationlamp 12.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an overhead schematic diagram of thecombination lamp 12 is shown. Vehicle axis 48 corresponds to thelongitudinal axis of the vehicle 10. Each of the reflector modules 18includes a focus 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 defined by the correspondingreflector 34 and positioned on the bottom surface 32 of the supportbracket 30.

As described above, the outboard reflector module 20 includes a fog lampLED 36 positioned at the focus 50 and a DRL LED 38 offset in front ofthe focus 50 along the vehicle axis 48 by an offset amount 60. Thereflector module 22 includes a fog lamp LED 36 positioned at the focus52 and a DRL LED 38 offset in front of the focus 52 along the vehicleaxis 48 by an offset amount 62. As described above, the reflector module24 includes the common LED 40 positioned at the focus 54. Reflectormodule 24 does not include a second LED. The reflector module 26includes a fog lamp LED 36 positioned at the focus 56 and a DRL LED 38offset behind the focus 56 along the vehicle axis 48 by an offset amount64. The inboard reflector module 28 includes a fog lamp LED 36positioned at the focus 58 and a DRL LED 38 offset behind the focus 58along the vehicle axis 48, by an offset amount 66.

In some embodiments, the offset amounts 60, 66 of the reflector modules20, 28, respectively, may be equal in magnitude, and the offset amounts62, 64 of the reflector modules 22, 26, respectively, may be equal inmagnitude. Further, in some embodiments, the offset amounts 60, 66 maybe larger in magnitude than the offset amounts 62, 64. For example, theoffset amounts 60, 66 may be equal to 3.09 millimeters, and the offsetamounts 62, 64 may be equal to 1.55 millimeters.

An imaginary reference plane 68 may be established a distance 70 infront of the combination lamp 12. The reference plane 68 isperpendicular to the vehicle axis 48 and may be used to view and/ormeasure the light patterns produced by the combination lamp 12. Thedistance 70 may be any distance large enough to allow the light patternsproduced by the combination lamp 12 to stabilize. The distance 70 may besixty feet when performing standardized testing, for example testingaccording to the SAE International standards J583 or J2087. In otherembodiments, the distance 70 may be about fifteen feet or more.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, schematic diagrams 72, 98 illustratelight produced by the reflector modules 18 when viewed in the referenceplane 68. The reference plane 68 includes an imaginary line 74 that ispositioned to be level with the combination lamp 12; that is, at anangle of zero degrees up or down with respect to the vehicle axis 48.Thus, when the vehicle 10 is on a level surface the line 74 coincideswith the horizon. Light pattern 76 illustrates a fog lamp light patternproduced by one of the reflector modules 18 when the corresponding foglamp LED 36 is energized. The fog lamp light pattern 76 is alsorepresentative of the light pattern produced by the reflector module 24when the common LED 40 is energized. Contour lines of the fog lamp lightpattern 76 correspond to levels of intensity of light received at thereference plane 68. The fog lamp light pattern 76 includes a centroid78. The centroid 78 is the geometric center of the fog lamp lightpattern 76, and may correspond to the center of intensity (the “hotspot”) of the fog lamp light pattern 76. In the illustrative embodiment,the fog lamp light patterns 76 produced by all of the reflector modules18 are coextensive; therefore, the fog lamp light pattern 76 alsorepresents the combined light pattern produced by the combination lamp12 when the fog lamp LEDs 36 and the common LED 40 are energized. Inother embodiments, the fog lamp light patterns 76 produced by thereflector modules 18 may be vertically coextensive but spread aparthorizontally.

The fog lamp light pattern 76 extends from a top end 80 to a bottom end82, and a vertical distance 84 is defined between the top end 80 and thebottom end 82. The top end 80 may be positioned below the line 74, forexample, about three degrees below the line 74. The bottom end 82 may bepositioned about ten degrees below the line 74. By being positionedbelow the line 74 and therefore typically being directed below thehorizon, the fog lamp light pattern 76 tends to avoid directing lighttoward the eyes of oncoming drivers and therefore may be desirable forthe fog lamp function. The light pattern 76 also extends from a left end86 to a right end 88, and a horizontal distance 90 is defined betweenthe left end 86 and the right end 88. The left end 86 may be positionedat about forty degrees left of center, and the right end 88 may bepositioned at about forty degrees right of center.

Light pattern 92 illustrates a DRL light pattern produced by one of thereflector modules 18 when the corresponding DRL LED 38 is energized. TheDRL light pattern 92 includes a centroid 94. The centroid 94 has beendisplaced vertically with respect to the centroid 78 of the fog lamplight pattern 76. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the centroid 94 has beendisplaced vertically upward by a distance 96, and as illustrated in FIG.5 the centroid 94 has been displaced vertically downward by a distance100. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the DRL light pattern 92 may extend abovethe line 74 and thus may direct light upward, above the horizon. Becausedaytime running lamps are used to alert oncoming drivers of the presenceof the vehicle 10, directing light upward toward the eyes of oncomingdrivers may be desirable for the DRL function.

Referring now to FIG. 6, schematic diagram 102 illustrates lightproduced by the combination lamp 12 viewed in the reference plane 68.Light pattern 104 illustrates a DRL light pattern produced by thecombination lamp 12; that is, light pattern 104 illustrates the combinedlight patterns 92 of all of the reflector modules 18 when the DRL LEDs38 and the common LED 40 are energized. The combined light pattern 104includes a centroid 106 positioned on the line 74 at zero degrees leftor right of center. The light pattern 104 extends from a top end 108 toa bottom end 110, and a vertical distance 112 is defined between the topend 108 and the bottom end 110. The vertical distance 112 may be greaterthan the vertical distance 84 of the fog lamp light pattern 76; that is,the combined light pattern 104 may be larger vertically than the foglamp light pattern 76. The top end 108 is positioned above the line 74,for example, about fifteen degrees above the line 74. The bottom end 110is positioned below the line 74, for example, about fifteen degreesbelow the line 74. By being extending above the line 74, the combinedlight pattern 104 may be suitable for use as a DRL light pattern, asdescribed above. The combined light pattern 104 also extends from a leftend 114 to a right end 116, and a horizontal distance 118 is definedbetween the left end 114 and the right end 116. The horizontal distance118 may be less than the horizontal distance 90 of the fog lamp lightpattern 76; that is, the combined light pattern 104 may be more narrowhorizontally than the fog lamp light pattern 76. For example, the leftend 114 may be positioned at about twenty-five degrees left of center,and the right end 116 may be positioned at about twenty-five degreesright of center. Because the light patterns 92 of the reflector modules18 are not coextensive, the combined light pattern 104 may have a lowermaximum light intensity than the combined fog lamp light patterns 76 ofthe reflector modules 18. In other words, the combined light patterns 92have less overlap than the combined fog lamp light patterns 76 and thusmay produce a lower maximum light intensity for the same amount ofluminous flux.

Other embodiments of the combination lamp 12 may produce different lightpatterns. For example, the combination lamp 12 may produce a low-beamheadlamp light pattern 76 and high-beam headlamp light patterns 92, 104.The relative sizes of the light patterns may also differ in otherembodiments. For example, the horizontal distance 118 of the combinedlight pattern 104 may be the same as the horizontal distance of thelight pattern 76.

There are a plurality of advantages of the present disclosure arisingfrom the various features of the apparatus and system described herein.It will be noted that alternative embodiments of the apparatus andsystem of the present disclosure may not include all of the featuresdescribed yet still benefit from at least some of the advantages of suchfeatures. Those of ordinary skill in the art may readily devise theirown implementations of the apparatus and system that incorporate one ormore of the features of the present invention and fall within the spiritand scope of the present disclosure.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An automotive lamp comprising: a pluralityof reflectors, a first plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs)including a first LED positioned at a focus of a first reflector of theplurality of reflectors and operable to direct light at the firstreflector, and a second plurality of LEDs including a second LED offsetfrom the focus of the first reflector and operable to direct light atthe first reflector, wherein the automotive lamp is configured to (i)produce a first light pattern when the first plurality of LEDs areenergized, and (ii) produce a second light pattern when the secondplurality of LEDs are energized.
 2. The automotive lamp of claim 1,further comprising: a third LED positioned at the focus of a secondreflector of the plurality of reflectors and operable to direct light atthe second reflector, and an electronic controller configured to (i)energize the first plurality of LEDs and the third LED to produce thefirst light pattern and (ii) energize the second plurality of LEDs andthe third LED to produce the second light pattern.
 3. The automotivelamp of claim 2, wherein: the first plurality of LEDs further includes afourth LED positioned at a focus of a third reflector and operable todirect light at the third reflector, the second plurality of LEDsfurther includes a fifth LED offset from the focus of the thirdreflector and operable to direct light at the third reflector, and thesecond reflector is positioned between the first reflector and the thirdreflector.
 4. The automotive lamp of claim 1, wherein: the plurality ofreflectors comprises four reflectors, the first plurality of LEDscomprises four LEDs, each LED being operable to direct light at one ofthe four reflectors and being positioned at a focus of the onereflector, and the second plurality of LEDs comprises four LEDs, eachLED being operable to direct light at one of the four reflectors andbeing positioned offset from the focus of the one reflector.
 5. Theautomotive lamp of claim 1, wherein: when the first light pattern isviewed in an imaginary reference plane positioned a predefined distancein front of the automotive lamp, a first vertical distance is definedbetween an upper end and a lower end of the first light pattern, andwhen the second light pattern is viewed in the reference plane, a secondvertical distance is defined between an upper end and a lower end of thesecond light pattern, the second vertical distance being greater thanthe first vertical distance.
 6. The automotive lamp of claim 5, whereinthe first light pattern comprises a fog lamp light pattern, and thesecond light pattern comprises a daytime running lamp light pattern. 7.The automotive lamp of claim 5, wherein: the upper end of the firstlight pattern is positioned below an imaginary line in the referenceplane that corresponds to the horizon, and the upper end of the secondlight pattern is positioned above the imaginary line.
 8. The automotivelamp of claim 5, wherein: a first horizontal distance is defined betweena left end and a right end of the first light pattern, and a secondhorizontal distance is defined between a left end and a right end of thesecond light pattern, the second horizontal distance being less than thefirst horizontal distance.
 9. The automotive lamp of claim 2, whereinthe electronic controller is further configured to (i) de-energize thefirst plurality of LEDs when the second plurality of LEDs are energizedand (ii) de-energize the second plurality of LEDs when the firstplurality of LEDs are energized.
 10. An automotive lamp comprising: alamp housing for installation in a vehicle, the lamp housing having aninboard side and an outboard side, wherein the vehicle defines alongitudinal vehicle axis, and a plurality of reflector modules arrangedlinearly within the lamp housing, each reflector module including: asupport coupled to the lamp housing, a reflector extending from thesupport and defining a focus on a surface of the support, and a firstlight emitting diode (LED) positioned on the surface of the support atthe focus of the reflector and operable to direct light at thereflector, wherein each reflector module produces a first light patternwhen the first LED is energized, and wherein each of a first reflectormodule and a second reflector module of the plurality of reflectormodules: (i) includes a second LED positioned on the surface of thesupport offset from the focus of the reflector, the second LED beingoperable to direct light at the reflector, and (ii) produces a secondlight pattern when the second LED is energized.
 11. The automotive lampof claim 10, wherein: when each first light pattern produced by theplurality of reflector modules is viewed in an imaginary reference planepositioned a predefined distance along the vehicle axis in front of theautomotive lamp, an upper end of each first light pattern is positionedbelow an imaginary line in the reference plane that corresponds to thehorizon, and when each second light pattern produced by the plurality ofreflector modules is viewed in the reference plane, a centroid of eachsecond light pattern is offset vertically from a centroid of the firstlight pattern produced by the same reflector.
 12. The automotive lamp ofclaim 10, wherein the plurality of reflector modules further comprises athird reflector module positioned between the first reflector module andthe second reflector module, wherein the automotive lamp furthercomprises an electronic controller configured to (i) energize the firstLED of the third reflector module when the first LEDs of the firstreflector module and the second reflector module are energized and (ii)energize the first LED of the third reflector module when the secondLEDs of the first reflector module and the second reflector module areenergized.
 13. The automotive lamp of claim 12, wherein: the pluralityof reflector modules further comprises a fourth reflector module, thefourth reflector module (i) including a second LED positioned on thesurface of the support offset from the focus of the reflector, thesecond LED being operable to direct light at the reflector, and (ii)producing a second light pattern when the second LED is energized, thefirst reflector module is positioned inboard of the third reflectormodule, the second reflector module is positioned outboard of the thirdreflector module, and the fourth reflector module is positioned outboardof the second reflector module.
 14. The automotive lamp of claim 12,wherein: the plurality of reflector modules further comprises a fourthreflector module, the fourth reflector module (i) including a second LEDpositioned on the surface of the support offset from the focus of thereflector, the second LED being operable to direct light at thereflector, and (ii) producing a second light pattern when the second LEDis energized, the first reflector module is positioned inboard of thethird reflector module, the second reflector module is positionedoutboard of the third reflector module, and the fourth reflector moduleis positioned inboard of the first reflector module.
 15. The automotivelamp of claim 14, wherein the plurality of the reflector modules furthercomprises a fifth reflector module, the fifth reflector module (i)including a second LED positioned on the surface of the support offsetfrom the focus of the reflector, the second LED being operable to directlight at the reflector, (ii) producing a second light pattern when thesecond LED is energized, and (iii) being positioned outboard of thesecond reflector module.
 16. The automotive lamp of claim 15, wherein:the second LEDs of the first reflector module and the fourth reflectormodule are positioned closer to the reflector than the focus, and thesecond LEDs of the second reflector module and fifth reflector moduleare positioned further from reflector than the focus.
 17. The automotivelamp of claim 16, wherein: when each second light pattern produced bythe first reflector module and the fourth reflector module is viewed inan imaginary reference plane positioned a predefined distance along thevehicle axis in front of the automotive lamp, the second light patternhas a centroid positioned vertically above a centroid of the first lightpattern produced by the same reflector module, and when each secondlight pattern produced by the second reflector module and the fifthreflector module is viewed in the reference plane, the second lightpattern has a centroid positioned vertically below a centroid of eachfirst light pattern produced by the same reflector module.
 18. Theautomotive lamp of claim 10, wherein the reflectors of the plurality ofreflector modules are configured to reflect the light produced by thefirst LEDs and the second LEDs out of the lamp housing withoutobstruction.
 19. A method for automotive lighting, the methodcomprising: energizing a plurality of first light emitting diodes (LEDs)to produce a first light pattern, wherein each first LED is positionedat a focus of a reflector of a plurality of reflectors, energizing aplurality of second LEDs to produce a second light pattern, wherein eachsecond LED is offset from the focus of a reflector corresponding to afirst LED, and energizing a third LED positioned at a focus of areflector of the plurality of reflectors (i) when the plurality of firstLEDs are energized to produce the first light pattern and (ii) when theplurality of second LEDs are energized to produce the second lightpattern.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein: energizing the pluralityof first LEDs and the third LED comprises energizing the plurality offirst LEDs and the third LED to produce the first light pattern that,when viewed in an imaginary reference plane positioned a predefineddistance in front of the plurality of reflectors, has an upper endpositioned below an imaginary line in the reference plane thatcorresponds to the horizon, and energizing the plurality of second LEDsand the third LED comprises energizing the plurality of second LEDs andthe third LED to produce the second light pattern that, when viewed inthe reference plane, (i) has an upper end positioned above the upper endof the first light pattern and (ii) has a lower end positioned below alower end of the first light pattern.